Posts Written ByEvan Dawson

  Rising from the ashes: crews continue work on new Dr. Frank tasting room By Evan Dawson, Finger Lakes Editor The shell of the new spillover tasting room and special event building at Dr. Konstantin Frank Wine Cellars has taken shape. With crews working every day on the project, it's on schedule for a spring opening, and could end up opening right around the one-year anniversary of the fire that destroyed the previous building on April 22, 2009. "That was a big shock," says Frederick Frank, President of Dr. Frank Wine Cellars. "We were all saddened. We lost business as…

Members of the Finger Lakes wine community discuss the marketing of the region and its wines. By Evan Dawson, Finger Lakes Editor Photo courtesy of Amy Cheatle, Damiani Wine Cellars Last week, the well-read wine blog Dr. Vino determined, by reader vote, the wine person of the past decade. And the winner? Eric LeVine. You'll be forgiven if your response is, "Who?" Finger Lakes consumers and marketing directors might not have heard of LeVine, but it's much more of a problem if they've never heard of his product. LeVine is the creator of the massively popular CellarTracker, which allows consumers…

Sorry this is so late. Heading out of 2009 with some interesting drink choices… Evan Dawson: Mon Ami Winery 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon (Ohio) I was surprised to find that a family member had recently visited some wineries in Ohio; I was utterly stunned to find that they returned with a bottle of Ohio cabernet sauvignon. Because if they say that God can't ripen cab sauv in Virginia, well, the big guy has no chance in Ohio, right? Turns out that this is "American" wine, which means the grapes or juice came largely from somewhere else. But it leads me to…

By Evan Dawson, Finger Lakes Editor The standard for choosing the Finger Lakes finalists was rather simple: If you could only send a small number of wines to someone who doesn't believe this region can make world-class wines, which wines would you choose? Yes, more than 100 wineries now produce wine in the Finger Lakes. But this compilation isn't about spreading the love; it's about choosing that wines that might convert the non-believers. Some might find the price of these wines to be an issue. As we've discussed before, it's important to offer wines that can compete with wines from…

Josh Wig, Lamoreaux Landing Wine Cellars' general manager, giving a tour of their estate vineyards By Evan Dawson, Finger Lakes Editor Tuscany is a dream vacation, but be warned: even with appointments, you often will only meet a tour guide, rather than the winemakers who craft Brunello. Napa can be an ideal getaway, but if you don't know someone who knows someone, you might be stuck in the tasting room. The Finger Lakes is not only a mind-clearing destination, but stop by one of the wineries some time and you might be asked to put on gloves and assist the…

By Evan Dawson, Finger Lakes Editor Photographs show the Raphael wine library and Raphael barrel room Before New York state wines will be taken seriously by a wider swath of national and international consumers, they will have to show a track record of graceful aging. The problem is that most New York wine producers do not have a consistent library program. This is changing.  On a recent visit to Long Island's North Fork, I was smitten with the gorgeous and extensive library at Raphael. This is the standard to which many other wineries will aspire, but laying bottles down requires…

Kristin Vanden Brul shows off her new offerings from Long Island By Evan Dawson, Finger Lakes Editor If you walk into a wine shop on Long Island, will you find Finger Lakes wines? How about the other way around – do you expect to find Long Island wines in Finger Lakes shops? I recently discovered the shuttered mentality up close in a wine shop on Keuka Lake. The employee said, "We can't sell Long Island wines. People would get upset with us." This assertion was backed by only the flimsiest logic, that somehow the Finger Lakes is competing with Long…

By Evan Dawson, Finger Lakes Editor Photos courtesy of Keuka Spring Vineyards By late August it was obvious to the Wiltberger family at Keuka Spring Vineyards that 2009 had become a challenging vintage. They had to make decisions on how to ensure ripe grapes, particularly the red varieties. Checking out the cabernet franc, they made the kind of call that can save a vintage: They decided to cut yields in half. "It's made all the difference," owner Len Wiltberger said on a quiet day with most of the grapes in. "We went from nearly five tons an acre to about…

By Evan Dawson, Finger Lakes Editor Photo, of grapes ripening before harvest, courtesy of Hunt Country Vineyards What is harvest like as we cross into November? Hunt Country Vineyards owner Art Hunt wrote about the back-breaking work, the beautiful images and the speed of the harvest crew. Instead of excerpting it, I'm posting Art's entire vivid description below. The day started out at 27 degrees.There was an incredibly thick white frost on everything, making the roofs look like it had snowed. The sun comes up earlier now that we are back on EST and the fog lay thick on the…

By Evan Dawson, Finger Lakes Editor Photo montage by Morgan Dawson Photography Are Finger Lakes wine producers insecure about alcohol? It's a strange question, I realize. But it's one that came to mind when my wife and I were out to dinner recently. We ordered a bottle of Joh. Jos. Prum 2007 Riesling Kabinett from Germany's Mosel. The wine was beautiful — and it was only 9% alcohol by volume (ABV). Not long ago we enjoyed a Fritz Haag from Mosel that came in at 7% ABV.  So I wondered: Why don't we see Finger Lakes rieslings at lower alcohol…